Zach
Zach lounged on the couch in the hotel suite listening to his iPhone. He glanced up when he saw the suite door open. Hightower and Rawlins walked into the room.
“Guys,” Rawlins yelled, “can I get everyone in the living area, please?”
Zach pulled out his AirPods and sat up on the couch. Ric and Orr left their rooms where they’d been napping and sauntered into the living area. Ric had some pretty bad bed hair going on, and Orr was a rumpled mess. Of the three of them, Zach was the only one who looked even remotely awake.
“Okay. What do you know about Ethan’s disappearance?” Rawlins asked.
The bandmates looked at each other before they mumbled some version ofnothing.
“Let me rephrase,” Rawlins started. “What do you know about anyone in Houston? Does Ethan have family or friends in the Houston?”
“None I know of,” Zach said. He looked at the other guys, who shrugged. “What’s this about?”
“I got off the phone with the FBI,” Hightower said. “Ethan flew the coop and headed to Houston. Any idea why?”
“Not at all,” Zach replied without hesitating. “Let me call Stephanie and see if she knows anything.”
“Who?” Rawlins asked.
“Stephanie, Ethan’s best friend,” Zach said. “If anyone knows if Ethan has family or friends in Houston, it’s going to be her.”
“Do it.”
Zach walked out of the living area and into his bedroom to get a bit of privacy before looking up Stephanie in his phone contacts. He hit the call button and listened to the ringing.
“Zach? Any news?”
“Not yet,” Zach said. “We still don’t know what’s going on. We found out Ethan flew to Houston yesterday. Do you know if he knows anyone there?”
There was a lull on the other end of the line. “Honestly, I don’t know,” Stephanie admitted. “I think I know most of his family and friends, but we both know Ethan keeps some parts of his life private.”
“Yeah, I know. He thinks no one knows, but he’d be surprised to find out how all of us pretend not to.”
“I take it he still hasn’t responded to your messages or texts?” Stephanie asked.
“Just a cryptic text about ‘needing a breather’. Beyond that, nothing. You?”
“I didn’t even get an obscure text. What is he doing? This issonot like him.”
“I would say he’s having a midlife crisis, but since when do twenty-five-year-olds have midlife crises?” Zach heard a quick laugh.
“Well, call me if you hear anything,” Stephanie said. “I’ll do the same.”
“Thanks,” Zach said as he hung up the phone. He drew a heavy breath and let it out before returning to the living area.
As soon as he opened the door, Rawlins asked, “Anything?”
“Nope, she’s as clueless about all this as we are.”
“So, where does this leave the rest of us?” Orr asked. “I don’t want to be insensitive, but Ethan’s timing here was pretty crappy.”
“Orr!” Zach said.
“Sorry, dude,” Orr said flatly. “He screwed us all with his little disappearing act.”
Zach wanted to say something scathing in rebuke, but he knew Orr was right. Ethan had left them all hanging, which was totally not cool.
